The Animal Friends Association is a partner with the UK organization InterNICHE, the International Network for Humane Education. Croatian regulations bind those who use animals for education and science to develop alternatives that don’t include torturing and killing animals.

As stated in the still valid Animal Protection Act, "experiments on animals which cause them pain, suffering and injury, or death may not be performed for educational purposes." Nick Jukes, Coordinator of InterNICHE will visit Croatia to mark the topical introduction of a new Animal Protection Bill. On October 24, 2016, Nick will hold a full-day workshop on replacing animal exploitation with alternative methods in education and training for the Croatian scientific community representatives at the Ministry of Agriculture Veterinary and Food Safety Directorate.

Animal Friends invites you to an interesting lecture on Wednesday, October 26, 2016, at 6 P.M. in the premises of the Animal Friends Association (Jurisiceva ulica 25), where Nick will speak about alternatives to animal experiments and their successful implementation, show videos and demonstrate products, and explore the pedagogical, ethical, and economic advantages of alternatives. Of special interest will be the demonstration of alternative methods to animal experiments in education and training for anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, clinical skills, and surgery, such as programs, models, mannequins, and simulators.

Nick has been working on improving education and training in natural sciences through curricular changes and animal experiment alternatives for more than 20 years. Nick co-authored the 2nd edition of the groundbreaking book From Guinea Pig to Computer Mouse, which describes over 500 products designed for progressive life science education.

Despite the rapid development of technology, educational practice, and ethics, some educational institutions still use animal experimentation and dissected animals (killed for that very purpose) in practical classes and training courses. Animals have been traditionally used in educational programs in biological science, medicine, and veterinary medicine. Such an approach is not only inhumane, morally unjustified, and harmful to animals, but the students and postgraduates who are forced to compromise their ethical principles and act contrary to basic moral values also suffer. Many of them will not even use animals in their future careers.

Innovative and humane alternatives are now being increasingly implemented worldwide to enhance knowledge and skills acquisition and replace animal use. Instead of animals, alternatives include the previously mentioned methods that will be presented to the lecture attendees, as well as: multimedia software, virtual reality (VR), self-experimentation, the use of ethically sourced animal cadavers, and clinical learning opportunities with patients. Humane education has a positive impact on students, teachers, society, the professions, and animals. Case studies show that these positive tools and approaches are often no longer seen as "alternative", but as the norm.

Animal Friends and InterNICHE promote an education system that fully respects and supports animal rights, student rights and alternative methods to traditional animal experimentation in education. They ask students and professors for their cooperation. InterNICHE offers practical support to educational and scientific institutions in replacing animal experiments and encourages students to defend their freedom to choose alternative learning methods and demand a better, progressive education.

The lecture will be in English, without translation. Nick Jukes will be available to the press on October 25 and 26, 2016.

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Animal Friends is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, founded in 2001 with the aim to promote animal protection and animal rights as well as veganism, as ethical, ecological and healthy lifestyle.
Animal Friends Croatia is a member organization of EVU,
Eurogroup for Animals, ECEAE, FFA, IAFC and OIPA.